Retracting type theater chair



March 7, 1950 A. c. HOVEN 2,500,124

RETRACTING TYPE THEATER CHAIR Filed Aug. 22, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l NVENTOR Ala- 0. H0 we WmO/M ATTORNEY March 7, 1950 A. c. HOVEN 2,500,124

' RETRACTING TYPE THEATER CHAIR Filed Aug. 22, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Alfred C. Hozfien TTORNEY 3 connected in their lower forward regions to these tongues 35 and it will be seen that the lower portion of the back II is thus movable forwardly and rearwardly with the seat ID. The back wings 18 are supported in their upper forward regions on the standards i2 and the supporting connections of the wings to the standards are of such construction that as the seat and back assembly is moved rearwardly from its position shown in Figure 3 to its position shown in Figure '7 the angular inclination of the back is varied to a near-vertical degree and the space to the rear of the chair required for retraction is thus reduced to a minimum. These supporting and guiding connections comprise guide members 36 having shank portions 31 threaded into bosses 38 on the standards and turnable therein about a common horizontal axis, and bearing portions 39 having rearwardly-upwardly slide bearings 4|] therein. Glides 4| of rod-like formation have their forward ends secured as by welding 42 to outwardly turned flanges 43 on the back wings l8, and have their rearward ends provided with enlarged heads or stops 44. The glides 4i are rearwardly-upwardly oblique and are freely slidable in the slide bearings 40 of the guide members 36.

It will be seen that when the chair is retracted by the occupant the seat moves rearwardly in a substantially horizontal path while the back simultaneously moves rearwardly and turns to a near-vertical position due to the shortening of the distance between pivot point A and pivot point B which effects rearward and upward movement of the glides 4! in the slide bearings 40 and simultaneous turning movement of the guide members 36.

Stops are provided for limiting the movements of the various parts of the chair to their forward positions or their positions of retraction. As here shown these stops comprise the heads 44 on the glides 4| which contact guide members 36 to limit forward movement of the chair, and the flanges 43 which contact the guide members 36 to limit retracting movement of the chair. The flanges 43 on the back wings l8 serve a further purpose by concealing certain of the operating parts of the chair from view and by shielding the chair occupants clothing from said operating parts.

Only one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, but it will be understood that the construction selected for illustration may be modified and details altered or omitted all within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a chair, a frame, a seat and back assembly wherein the seat and back are lpivotally connected for relative movement, means for mounting the seat on the frame for substantially horizontal forward and rearward movements, guide members mounted on opposite sides of the frame turnably about a horizontal axis and having slide bearings therein, and glides secured to the seat and back assembly in fixed relation to the back and in oblique disposition, said glides being slidable in and turnable with the guide members for effecting turning movement of the back relative to the seat during forward and rearward movements of the seat and back assembly.

- 2. In a chair, a frame, a seat and back assembly wherein the seat and back are pivotally connected for relative movement, means for mounting the seat on the frame for substantially horizontal forward and rearward movements, guide members mounted on opposite sides of the frame rearwardly of the seat mounting means, said guide members being turnabie about a horizontal axis and having slide bearings therein, and guides secured to the seat and back assembly in fixed relation to the back and in oblique disposition, said glides being siidable in and turnabie with the guide members for effecting turning movement of the back relative to the seat during forward and rearward movements of the seat and back assembly.

3. In a chair, a frame, a seat and back assembly wherein the seat and back are pivotally connected for relative movement, means for mounting the seat on the frame for substantially horizontal forward and rearward movements, guide members mounted on opposite sides of the frame above and rearwardly of the seat mounting means, said guide members being turnable about a horizontal axis and having rearwardly-upwardly extending slide bearings therein, rearwardly-upwardly extending glides secured to the seat and back assembly in fixed relation to the back, said glides being slidabie in and turnable with the guide members for effecting turning movement of the back relative to the seat during forward and rearward movements of the seat and back assembly.

4. In a chair, a frame, inwardly extending substantially horizontal upper and. lower races at each of the opposite sides of the frame, outwardly opening channel bars having races in their flanges disposed above and below the respective upper and lower races on the frame and in complement thereto, anti-friction elements between the pairs of complementary races facilitating forward and rearward sliding movements of the channel bars relative to the frame, a seat mounted on said channel bars and movable forwardly and rearwardly therewith, a back having forwardly extending wings pivotally connected in their upper forward regions to the opposite sides of the frame and pivotally connected in their lower forward regions to the channel bars, and means for limiting the forward and rearward movements of said channel bars.

5. In a chair, a frame, inwardly extending substantially horizontal upper and lower races at each of the opposite sides of the frame, outwardly opening channel bars having races in their flanges disposed above and below the respective upper and lower races on the frame and in complement thereto, anti-friction elements between the pairs of complementary races facilitating forward and rearward sliding movements of the channel bars relative to the frame, a seat mounted on said channel bars and movable forwardly and rearwardly therewith, upwardly extending tongues on said channel bars, a back having forwardly extending wings pivotally connected in their upper forward regions to the opposite sides of the frame and pivotally connected in their lower forward regions to said tongues, and means for limiting the forward and rearward movements of said channel bars.

6. In a chair, spaced upright chair-supporting standards, a seat mounted at its opposite sides on said standards for forward and rearward movements relative to the standards, a back having at its opposite sides forwardly extending wings pivotally connected in their lower forward regions to the seat for forward and rearward movements therewith, guide members mounted on the upper portions of the standards, and glides secured to the back wings obliquely movable on the guide members for efiecting turning movement of the back relative to the seat during forward and rearward movements of the seat, said back wings having outwardly extending flanges thereon shielding the guides and the glides from an occupant of the chair.

7. In a chair, spaced upright chair-supporting standards, a seat mounted at its opposite sides on said standards for forward and rearward movements relative to the standards, a back having at its opposite sides forwardly extending wings pivotally connected in their lower forward regions to the seat for forward and rearward movements therewith, guide members mounted on the upper portions of the standards, and glides secured to the back wings obliquely movable on the guide members for effecting turning movement of the back relative to the seat during forward and rearward movements of the seat, said back wings having outwardly extending flanges thereon shielding the guides, the glides, and the pivotal connections between the back wings and the seat from an occupant of the chair.

ALFRED C. HOVEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date 477,113 Gruenberg June 14, 1892 1,887,240 Hanson Nov. B, 1932 2,336,031 Orton Dec. 7, 1943 15 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 103,619 Australia Apr. 14, 1938 158,394 Germany Feb. :2, 1905 210,938 Great Britain Feb. 14, 1924 20 347,791 Great Britain May 7, 1931 726,797 France Mar. 14, 1932 

